Punless
by AkumaMatata
Summary: What happens when Chat Noir goes too far with the puns? And with his new attitude, he starts to remind Ladybug more and more of, well, who exactly?
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful night in Paris. The stars were shining and the noise of the city was a barely a murmur. Ladybug and Chat Noir had just finished patrol and were watching Paris from the Eiffel Tower.

"Wow My Lady, it really has been a purrfect night, huh?" Chat smirked.

Ladybug sighed. "It was until you ruined it with your puns."

"You don't mean that. I'm _paw_ sitive you find my puns a _mew_ sing!" Chat replied, smiling innocently.

"What a wonderful _Cat_ urday."

"You gotta be _kitten_ me!"

"My puns are _hiss_ terical!"

"That last akuma attack was _cat_ astrophic."

"I got puns _fur_ ever!"

"STOP IT!" Ladybug nearly screamed. "I can't take it! Your endless puns are driving me crazy! Just stop it!"

"You mean it... _fur_ real?" Chat said hesistantly before seeing the crazed look in his partner's eyes. He gulped, realizing he had finally set her over the edge.

"Yes, **_for_** real," Ladybug replied, eyes narrowed. She was getting less and less tolerant of his puns recently.

Chat looked downward, ears flat against his head. He never meant to get Ladybug this mad. He thought she had secretly enjoyed his puns. _I never should have assumed that_ , he thought sadly. "Okay Ladybug, I'll cut it out. Sorry for bothering you," Chat muttered. He leapt of the Eiffel Tower and extended his pole unto the next building.

Ladybug felt a tad bit guilty as she watched Chat leave. He looked truly hurt when she snapped at him. _Still, he should have realized he makes way too many puns_ , Ladybug told herself. She frowned before she swung off in the other direction.

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"You really did it this time kid! I've never seen a Ladybug that mad at Chat Noir in decades!" Plagg laughed. He glanced over at Adrien's face. His frown only deepened. "Look, I didn't mean that. If Ladybug doesn't appreciate your puns, forget her. I think your puns are _purr_ ty good!" Plagg smiled cheerfully. Despite his constant grumbling for cheese, Plagg really did love his chosens. He found himself getting fond of each new one he was given and missing the old ones. Adrien was no exception. If anything, Plagg admired Adrien's positivity and loyalty.

Adrien smiled slightly at Plagg's pun. It faded however when he remembered the look of anger on his lady's face. _I'll just act more like my Adrien side from now on, I guess,_ he decided. He finished his homework he had earlier happily set aside to do after patrol and went to bed.

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The next day at school Marinette felt a weight in her stomach. Her mind kept wandering back to patrol last night and her outburst. She knew her reaction was too harsh. Sure, the puns were annoying, but they weren't hurting anyone. She had acted as if _they_ were causing the akuma attacks. She decided to apologize to Chat Noir next time she saw him.

Adrien felt distracted all throughout the school day. Nino had tried to talk to him, but it went in one ear and out the other. He couldn't stop feeling guilty for annoying his lady so much. As the classes dragged on, he came to the decision to apologize to Ladybug when he next saw her.

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After school got out, Alya caught up to Marinette. "You okay girl? You seem quiet." she asked, concerned.

"Yea Alya, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all," Marinette said as she forced a smile.

"Well, I hope you're not too tired to go to the movies with me, Nino, and Adrien!" Alya smiled excitedly.

Marinette's forced smile soon turned real upon hearing this. "Movies!? With... ADRIEN?!" she squealed. Her excitement soon turned into panic. "What am I going to wear!? I haven't taken a shower since this morning! I CAN'T HANDLE THE PRESSURE!" she wailed hopelessly.

"Mari, calm down. You'll be fine girl! I'll be there too, don't worry. I'll even help you get ready. The movie doesn't even start for another two hours." Alya reassured the anxious bluenette. _She gets so worked up,_ Alya chuckled to herself.

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As Adrien was exiting the school, Nino ran up to him. "Yo, dude! Wait up!" Nino said out of breath as he approached. "What is it Nino?" Adrien asked curiously. "Do you want to go to the movies with me, Alya, and Marinette?" Nino asked, anxiously waiting for Adrien's respond. He had promised Alya he would get Adrien to come to the movies and he didn't want to face her wrath if Adrien said no.

Adrien mulled it over in his mind. _I bet going to the movies would take my mind off of patrol_ , he decided. "Sure, that sounds great," he smiled. He noticed Nino's relieved expression and wondered what that was about.

"Thank you so much! Er, I mean, cool bro!" Nino said relieved. _That could've been bad if he said no,_ he acknowledged gratefully and thanked his luck.

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Marinette paced in her room, trying to decide on an outfit. "Ooo, Marinette, I found something!" Alya squealed, jumping out of her closet with her new findings. Marinette ran over to observe the clothes. There was a pink tank top with white flowers printed on it. Alya had also pulled out a white skirt and pink sandals.

"Oh Alya, it's perfect!" Marinette exclaimed. She grabbed the clothes and ran into the bathroom to change. Alya chuckled at her excitable friend and played on her phone as she waited for her to finish getting ready.

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"What's taking so long?" Nino wondered out loud. He and Adrien had arrived at the movie theater 5 minutes ago and the girls were nowhere in sight. "Wait, is that them?" Adrien asked as he squinted to see to figures walking towards the theatre. "Finally! Took them long enough," Nino muttered after deciding they were indeed Alya and Marinette. "Sorry to keep you guys waiting! We lost track of time," Alya called as they got closer. Adrien noticed Marinette next to her. Her outfit looked expertly put together, with her hair in high bun topping it off. Her fashion sense had always amazed him. It seemed so colorful and full of life compared to his father's designs. "No problem, the movie doesn't start for a couple more minutes. Let's go get snacks and go to our seats," Nino replied as he started towards the food counter.

The movie was pretty good, but nothing original. It had the usual plot of a shy teenage girl falling in love with the popular, confident boy at school. Of course in the end, they ended up together. Adrien felt himself forgetting about the pun incident and felt relaxed. As they were leaving, a loud crash was heard from across the city.

"I bet that's an akuma! Sorry guys, but Ladyblog duty calls! Nino, come with me. I'll let you film me!" Alya said as she ran off, dragging Nino with her.

Adrien and Marinette watched as their friends ran off until they realized they had duties too. "Uh, I better go," both said in unison as they ran off in separate direction to go transform.

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Ladybug ran off into the direction of the crash, which seemed to come from where the Eiffel Tower was. She looked around to see where Chat Noir was, and spotted him running on a nearby rooftop. He must have noticed her looking because he glanced over at her and nodded a hello. Ladybug frowned. No smirk, no "My Lady", and no puns. He must have really taken what she said to heart. She shook her head and tried to focus on the task at hand.

"Chat Noir, the akuma's in his microphone!" Ladybug called out to Chat. The new villain, ShowTime, was an actor who was refused a role. "Okay, Ladybug, I'll try to grab it," Chat said solemnly as he ran off towards the akuma. He dodged the akuma's attempts of grabbing him and knocked the microphone out of his hand. He distracted the akuma while Ladybug ran and grabbed it. She smashed it against her knee and watched the butterfly emerged from the broken microphone. "Time to de-evilize!" she shouted as she purified the dark butterfly. "Miraculous Ladybug!" she yelled as she tossed the lucky charm she had used earlier in battle up in the air.

"Pound it!" the duo said. Chat had a small smile, but didn't seem as enthusiastic as usual. "I want to apologize for last night, Ladybug. I realize now how annoying I was, and I'll stop," Chat said meekly and turned to leave.

"Wait, Chat..." Ladybug started, but he was gone. She frowned. She had meant to apologize as well, but he had just left. She decided to leave him be until patrol tomorrow.

AN: Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites! It really means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!**

Marinette woke up to the smell of baked goods coming from downstairs. She smiled. Mornings like this were definitely a perk of living in a bakery. As she rolled out of bed, she realized it was only 6:30. _This has to be the earliest I've ever woken up on a school day_ , Marinette noted to herself. Even though she was up an hour earlier, she felt refreshed from a good night sleep. Her worry for Chat Noir's behavior had sucked the energy out of her and she had fallen asleep right away. Marinette started to feel less happy as she remember Chat's apology. _It really wasn't his fault, he shouldn't have had apologized_ , she thought. Marinette told herself that today on patrol she would apologize and explain herself to him.

Adrien woke up to the sound of his alarm going off. 6:00 was the usual waking time for him. He tiredly turned off the blaring alarm and yawned. He went to the bathroom, washed his face, and got ready for school. As he was leaving, Nathalie handed him his afterschool schedule.

"Here's your schedule, Adrien. I trust you won't make other plans that will conflict with this," Nathalie informed him as she walked away. Adrien looked at the schedule. He had a gala dinner later this evening. He didn't really mind that much, after all, , it was only a dinner. He shoved the schedule into his pocket and headed towards the limo taking him to school.

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Marinette unpacked her bag at her desk and looked at the pastry box in the bottom of her backpack. It was full of chocolate croissants, which she knew Chat loved. She was hoping to give them to him as a gift on patrol. She had even carefully wrapped the box in a sweatshirt so as to protect it from getting crushed. She smiled. Today she was going to make things right, no matter what.

As Adrien sat down as his desk, Chloe instantly ran up to him. "Adrikins! I heard you have a fancy dinner tonight and can bring a guest! So, being the obvious choice over all the losers you know, don't you have something to ask me?" Chloe said sickly sweet as she batted her lashes at him. _Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no. I have to bring a guest?! I'd be happy with anyone_ _ **but**_ _Chloe,_ the poor boy thought to himself nervously. He desperately looked around the classroom for an excuse and there she was. Marinette, his newly declared guardian angel, was poking around in her bag unsuspectingly. "Sorry Chloe, but I'm already taking Marinette!" Adrien lied nervously.

This got Marinette's attention. She had overheard Adrien and Chloe's conversation and nearly jumped out of her seat when Adrien said he was taking her. "WHAT!? You're taking HER?!" Chloe screeched. "Yea, I am," Adrien said as he looked at Marinette, eyes pleading with her to agree. "U-uh, y-yea, sorry Chloe!" Marinette stuttered as Adrien beamed at her. "Ugh!" Chloe grunted as she stomped out, even though class was just starting.

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Adrien ran to catch up to Marinette after school let out. "Marinette, I can't thank you enough. You really saved my _tail_ back there," Adrien said thankfully until he realized what he said in the latter part of his last sentence. Marinette's eyes widen as she heard it. "Uh, sorry. I used to have a thing for cat puns," Adrien quickly said.

"No, no, it's fine! I don't mind, really!" Marinette reassured him. The last thing she needed was to hurt another important friend over cat puns, of all things. Adrien smiled. He started to relax a bit.

"So, about the gala. It is black tie, so you would need to wear a formal dress. It's okay if you don't have one, you can borrow one from the latest formal clothing line," Adrien informed her. He had a feeling Marinette would be excited to borrow a dress since she loved his father's clothing line so much.

Marinette's eyes widened as she took in what Adrien had just said. Not only did she get dinner with Adrien, but she could borrow a dress?! She had dreamed of wearing one of the designer dresses, but could never afford it. They could cost up to thousands of euros sometimes. She felt like she might faint from happiness. That is, until she remembered her plan for patrol.

"YES! I'd love to borrow a dress! Thank you so much! But I have to ask, when will the dinner be over?" Marinette asked, hoping it would be before patrol.

"7:00, since it starts at 4:30. There's going to be entertainment before the dinner, so it's starting kind of early. You can make it, right?" Adrien asked worriedly. If she said no, Chloe was sure to find out and pounce on the opportunity.

Marinette inwardly sighed. Patrol didn't start until 8:30, she had plenty of time for both events. "Yes, I can! I just wanted to make sure it didn't conflict with something," Marinette responded, without a single stutter. She felt pretty proud.

Adrien smiled. "Great, I'm glad you can still do it! By the way, do you want to go to my house until the gala starts? It's 3:00 right now and we should probably start getting ready," he asked.

"Y-Yea sure!" Marinette replied. She didn't even care that the stutter had returned. "Just let me text my parents. I'm sure they'll be fine with it!" Marinette said as she pulled out her phone and started texting. She got an almost immediate response with permission to go and a winky face emoji. Marinette blushed and quickly put away her phone before Adrien could see. "They said yes!" Marinette grinned.

"Awesome, let's go!" Adrien said as he lead her to the limo waiting for them.

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The Agreste's mansion seemed to get bigger every time Marinette (or Ladybug), saw it. It was a little scary, in Marinette's opinion. Even Adrien didn't seem to feel comfortable in his own home. She watched as his posture instantly straightened and he brushed his hair out of his face. It made her a little sad to see how he felt the need to correct himself and be perfect all the time. She wished he would realize that he could afford to relax from time to time.

"Here we go! This is it, the vault of all Father's designs," Adrien announced as he entered a code into a huge door. He pushed it opened and stood to the side to let Marinette look.

Marinette couldn't believe her eyes. A whole room, full of the latest fashion of one of the most well known designers, was a dream to any aspiring fashion designer. Inside she saw Gabriel Agreste himself looking at the clothes to find inspiration. He looked over at Adrien and frowned.

"Adrien, who is this girl?" Gabriel asked as he walked towards the two teenagers.

"Hello Father, this is Marinette, my guest to the gala. I was thinking she could borrow a dress for tonight," Adrien answered politely.

"I see. That's fine, go ahead young lady," Gabriel said as he left the room. Marinette waited until he was out of sight and ran into the room and immediately started looking at the dresses.

Adrien chuckled. Marinette was one of the most energetic and appreciating people he knew. He hoped after tonight they would be better friends.

Marinette forgot about Adrien for just a moment as she raced to the nearest rack of dresses. She had enough self-control to have waited until Gabriel Agreste left, but she couldn't contain herself anymore. The rows of dresses had called out her and she couldn't resist.

A navy high-low dress, a light yellow dress with a bubble skirt, and an emerald green dress with a white Peter Pan collar caught her eye. Just as she was about to try them on, she stopped. On a nearby mannequin, a light blue dress was displayed on. It was such a light shade that it was nearly white. It had white braided straps and a white braided belt, and had silver thread woven through. There was a gauzy over-layer, and specks of silver all over the dress. It looked like something an angel would wear.

Marinette put the other dresses up and headed over to the dress in a daze. She had never seen such a beautiful dress in her life. She unclasped it from the mannequin and looked at the size. She took it as a sign that the dress was made for her when it was her exact size. She carefully held it as she ran to the dressing room.

Adrien smiled and headed towards the men's formal wear section of the room. He knew his father had already picked out his outfit, but he grabbed a tie that was the same shade of blue as Marinette's dress anyway.

Marinette never wanted to take off the dress. It fit like a charm and was made of the softest material. She went to find Adrien and spotted him looking at ties. Adrien saw her coming and held up the tie.

"Look, it's the same color as your dress! I'll try to convince Father to let me wear it," Adrien said excitedly. Having mentioned the dress, he glanced at it on Marinette.

He had never seen her in blue before. Only her usually pink and white [AN: And red with black spots too;)], but never blue. The light blue brought out the blue of her eyes and hair. He had to admit, the dress was made for her.

"You look amazing, Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed.

"Uh, th-thank y-you!" Marinette stammered gratefully. "I w-was th-thinking I would w-wear my hair in a French braid?" Marinette asked meekly.

"Up to you, while I might know a thing or two about fashion, hair and makeup are not my specialty," Adrien shrugged. "I'll show you to a guest room to get ready in while I get ready."

"S-sure!" Marinette agreed. She and Adrien made their way and stopped at the nearest guest room. She walked in and closed the door. She saw a makeup kit and hair accessories laid out on a nearby and got started.

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Adrien finished fastening his tie and checked himself in the mirror. "Not bad, huh Plagg?" Adrien called out to his kwami.

"Whatever kid, where's my cheese?" Plagg responded lazily.

Adrien rolled his eyes fondly. He brushed back his hair and went to go check up on Marinette.

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"Alright Tikki, I'm done!" Marinette stated proudly to her purse she had cast astray on a nearby chair next to her backpack. She had taken Chat's pastries out so they wouldn't get crushed any more.

"You look great Marinette!" Tikki cheered as she popped her head out of the bag. "Where do you want me to stay during the gala?" Tikki asked.

"I grabbed the matching bag on the way out, it has just enough room for you," Marinette smiled, tapping her head.

"Good thinking!" Tikki said before she heard a knock. She quickly flew into the matching bag that Marinette gestured to.

"Come in!" Marinette yelled.

Adrien stepped in and noticed Marinette's makeup and hair. She had woven silver thread into her braid and wore a touch of white eyeshadow around her eyes with mascara. She had on lipgloss that had a little bit of silver shimmer in it. He was amazed on how she had really tied together the look with a little makeup and a French braid.

"Marinette, you look great. You really know your way around fashion," Adrien smiled.

Marinette could barely breathe. She had never seen Adrien in a suit before, and he had just complemented her once again today. It was too much.

"Come on, let's go before we're late," Adrien said before Marinette could thank him. She nodded happily, grabbed her backpack, and they walked off.

 **AN: Sorry the chapter's so short, it wouldn't let me upload the whole thing. I'll finish the rest and post it soon! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So basically my account won't let me publish anything more than a thousand words so all the chapters are really short. Sorry! This story is becoming a lot longer than I planned but I'm going with it. Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites!**

The gala was being held in a five star hotel's ballroom. Thankfully, the hotel wasn't Chloe's dad's hotel. Adrien really wasn't looking forward to facing her after taking Marinette to the gala instead and was planning on dealing with her tomorrow. He was just going to enjoy tonight and hopefully get to know Marinette.

As they exited the limo, Adrien told her she could leave her backpack in the car. Realization started to hit Marinette as they entered the hotel. _This is really happening_ , registered in her brain. Here she was, in a beautiful designer dress, and with Adrien! _Wait until Alya hears about this,_ Marinette beamed. Alya would be so proud to see her best friend being _almost_ natural around Adrien.

Marinette and Adrien took their seats next to Gabriel Agreste and his staff. The entertainment, a pianist playing background to an opera singer, had just started. The two teenagers were served a three course dinner, with chocolate lava cake for dessert. They both sighed happily in unison after they finished eating.

Adrien knew the gala was nearly over when his father walked up the stage to make a speech. The opera singer handed over the microphone to him and walked down the stage. "Dear colleagues, I hope you have enjoyed yourselves this evening. Before we leave, there will be a dance, and I hope everyone will join. That includes you, Adrien," Gabriel said with a fake smile. Everyone laughed at the poor teenagers' red faces. A small orchestra took the pianist's place and started playing a slow ballad.

"Uh, are you okay with dancing?" Adrien asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, uh, y-yea! I'm n-not v-very good though," Marinette laughed nervously.

Adrien started to relax. After all, this was Marinette. This wouldn't be awkward. "That's fine, I'm not the best either," Adrien smiled.

They joined the crowd of people forming in near the stage. They copied the other people's movements and started to fit into the rhythm of the music.

Marinette was dying from happiness inside. She was slow dancing with **_Adrien._** This moment would be her go-to memory whenever she felt down. She couldn't imagine anything more perfect.

Adrien had never felt this natural dancing. No matter how many ballroom dance classes he took, he never seemed to get the hang of it. His father had eventually given up on the classes, which let Adrien off the hook, but he wouldn't mind starting back up again if they were this fun. _Amazing how the right partner can really help you,_ Adrien thought to himself.

The adults of the party couldn't help but watch the young pair. Memories of their younger years flooded through their heads as they watch the pair dance along. They all smiled, even Gabriel Agreste himself.

In both of the teenager's opinions, the dance had ended too early, and people were starting to leave. "Marinette, I'll give you a ride home. And thank you for coming, you really saved me from Chloe. We should hang out more often. I had fun tonight," Adrien beamed.

"Y-yea! We should! I fun too had! I MEAN, I had fun too," Marinette said happily. Adrien just laughed, and Marinette joined in too.

"I take it you both enjoyed yourselves tonight?" a familiar voice asked from behind them. Adrien turned around to see his father with a small smile on his face.

"Yes father, tonight was great. Thank you for letting Marinette come," Adrien responded smiling.

"No problem. Marinette?" Gabriel asked, turning his gaze towards her.

"Y-yes?" Marinette asked nervously.

"You can keep that outfit, if you wish," Gabriel offered and walked away.

Marinette nearly cried for joy. She had a wonderful evening with Adrien and got a designer outfit?! She couldn't believe her luck.

"This is the best night of my life!" Marinette exclaimed as she turned towards Adrien and threw her arms around him.

She immediately flew backwards once she realized what she had done. Both teens looked shocked at each other with growing blushes.

"Uh, let's go to the limo now," Adrien fought to say without stuttering.

"S-sure! Limos are good! Limos are great actually!" Marinette rambled.

As they headed over to the limo, they fell into a comfortable silence. Adrien checked the time on his watch. It was 7:30 right now, the gala had gone on for longer than he expected. Patrol didn't start until 8:30, so he still had time. They sat down in the limo and Adrien told Gorilla to drive to Marinette's house.

 **AN: I'll try to post the next chapter soon! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thank you for the follows, reviews, and favorites! I've decided to make the story a bit longer than planned. There will be a new chapter up in the net couple of days probably. Enjoy!**

Marinette grabbed her backpack from the car and waved goodbye to Adrien. He smiled and waved back as the car drove away.

She found her parents sitting on the couch watching TV as she walked in. They instantly turned their heads to look at her when they heard her walk in.

"Oh Marinette, you look beautiful," Sabine said as her eyes started to well up.

"Thanks maman, I'm going to go change," Marinette smiled tiredly. While tonight had been wonderful, she was worn out. She changed into her pajamas, undid her braid, and checked the time. It was already 8:00, so she only had half an hour until patrol started. Luckily, she had no homework for school, so she decided to relax and think back to the gala. She was sad it was over, but she would cherish the memories forever. Once it was time for patrol, she reached into her bag for Chat's gift. She felt around, but couldn't find the box.

 _I must have left them at school_ , she shrugged. She went downstairs, grabbed some leftover chocolate croissants, and ran back up to her room. She transformed and yo-yoed out the window, ready to make things right.

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Ladybug waited for Chat on the Eiffel Tower, pastry box in hand. She heard the familiar sound of Chat arriving and walking over to the spot next to her.

"Hi Ladybug," Chat greeted.

Ladybug turned to look at him. His hair was styled differently and his small smile seemed so familiar. A name popped up in her mind, but she shook the thought away. This wasn't the time to be obsessing about Adrien, no matter how much the two boys looked alike right now.

Chat glanced at his lady. Her hair, even though it was in it usual pigtails, looked different. Her eyes looked brighter and her lips seemed to have lip-gloss on them. _Is she wearing makeup? I don't think she ever has before,_ he thought. For some reason, Marinette from earlier today slipped into his thought. He pushed the thought of her away. He didn't know why he thought of her anyways.

Ladybug noticed Chat studying her face, and realized she never took her makeup off. "Oh, I'm wearing makeup since I was at a fancy dinner," she explained with a wave of her hand.

 _A fancy dinner? Maybe Ladybug was there at the gala! I wish I could ask without revealing too much about my identity,_ Chat pondered. His thoughts were interrupted when Ladybug thrust a pastry box towards him. He looked at the box to his lady, confused.

"Chat, I wanted to say I'm sorry. I overreacted, and I was way too harsh. Your puns are fine, really. I just wasn't in a good mood, I guess. Anyway, I got you these," she said as Chat took the box.

Chat opened the box to see chocolate croissants and a note. **_To Chat, my partner, my friend,_** it read. Chat smiled at his lady's thoughtfulness. _She really is amazing,_ he smiled internally.

"Thanks, Ladybug. And I'll try to hold back a touch more on the puns," Chat winked.

"Well, don't get a big head, but I really missed the puns. They lighten the mood during akuma attacks, and a couple are actually funny," Ladybug admitted.

Chat's smile turned into a huge grin. His lady really did think he was funny! "Well, My Lady, I'm glad to hear it. I'll keep on making my _paw_ some puns," Chat smirked teasingly.

Ladybug rolled her eyes playfully. "Really, how do you come up with this stuff? I feel bad for your parents at home who have to deal with this," Ladybug teased back.

She noticed a flash of emotion behind Chat's eyes. "Actually, I only joke around you. My civilian self isn't quite as smooth and relaxed as Chat Noir is," Chat admitted.

For some reason, this surprised Ladybug. It was hard to imagine Chat acting like how he had the past couple of days all the time. "Why do you joke around then? Not that I mind, just curious," Ladybug asked.

Chat sighed. "I joke since I feel like I barely help you in battle. When an akuma takes me out, you defeat them without me just fine. I figured if I could take the pressure off of you and make you laugh with jokes, then I was helping a bit more," Chat said, eyes downcast.

Ladybug wasn't expecting that. She didn't know there was that much of a reason behind them.

"Chat, you are a _huge_ help. You've saved me countless times, and help me just by simply being there for me. You stopped me from handing my earrings over to Volphina, took the hit for me countless times, and make being Ladybug so much easier," Ladybug smiled fondly. "In fact, the reason I got so annoyed at the puns was because I felt like _I_ couldn't repay you. I'm not funny, witty, or clever like you. It was just overwhelming, that's all," Ladybug said sadly.

"Ladybug, you're all of those things. You repay me everyday, just by being you," Chat smiled sincerely.

Ladybug pulled Chat in for a hug. His face immediately went red, but he hugged her back. To both of them the hug felt so familiar, like a not-so distant memory. They smiled as they pulled away and did their signature fistbump.

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As Adrien de-transformed, he flopped out on his bed. "Tonight was perfect, Plagg," he sighed. Not only did he and his lady explain themselves, but he also got closer to Marinette. Suddenly, a thought popped up in his head. He grinned, and turned to Plagg, who was gorging himself on cheese.

"Hey Plagg, you up for a little adventure?" Adrien called out to the small cat.

Plagg swallowed his bite. "Depends kid, how much cheese do I get afterwards?" Plagg inquired.

"Three wheels. You in?" Adrien smirked, already knowing the answer.

"Three whole wheels?! Of course I'm in, let's go!" Plagg cheered.

"Great. Plagg, claws out!" Adrien grinned as he transformed and leapt out of the window.

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Marinette felt like everything was working out. She got to spend the entire evening with Adrien, and made things right with Chat. It was nice to know that Chat wasn't so different than her like she originally thought. Behind his confident and punny self, he shared the same fears as her. The fears of not being enough, not being able to save the day, or letting everyone down were overwhelming sometimes.

A knock on Marinette's roof interrupted her thoughts. Curious, she climbed up the steps to her balcony and peered through the trap door. Chat himself stood on her balcony, shivering and wet. Marinette noticed that it had recently starting raining, and hard too.

"Oh! Chat Noir, why are you here? Come in, before you catch a cold," Marinette urged. Chat merely nodded gratefully and entered the warm room.

The rain was not something that Adrien had noticed while coming up with his brilliant plan. He tolerated rain in his civilian form, but couldn't stand it as Chat. Just thinking about it made him flinch.

Marinette snickered at Chat's grumpy face. She grabbed a towel from her bathroom and handed it to him. "You don't look very happy," she giggled.

Chat pouted as he took the towel. "I was, until it started raining. Rain's horrible, especially when I'm transformed," Chat answered as he dried off.

This made Marinette think. She never really thought about the differences Chat and his civilian self might have. Marinette was certainly different as Ladybug, so she figured that the boy behind the mask was probably a little bit different than Chat.

"You okay there, Princess? You seemed to have spaced out there for a minute," Chat asked as he waved his hand in front of her face.

"Oh! Yea, I'm fine, just thinking. Anyway, what brings you here Chat? Doesn't a superhero have better things to do than hang out with a civilian?" Marinette asked innocently.

"Well, I try to go where the night leads me. You know, living on the edge," Chat shrugged.

"Sounds... fun?" Marinette tilted her head. She felt like there was a reason behind this visit, but he didn't seem like he would be telling her anytime soon.

"It is," Chat grinned. A thought seemed to cross his mind as his smile faltered. "Gives me a break from other me."

"I'm sure other you is just as fun and goofy as you, Chat. Putting on the mask doesn't change who you are," Marinette smiled sincerely.

"Your right, Princess. So, how was _your_ day?" Chat asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

He noticed Marinette's dreamy look and smile. "Good, well, actually, incredible," Marinette sighed as she remembered the gala.

"Oh? Please, elaborate," Chat asked innocently.

"Why, some one's noisy. Haven't you ever heard that curiosity killed the cat?" Marinette teased as she snapped out of her stupor.

"I a _paw_ ogize. I should understand that a princess needs her space," Chat bowed.

Suddenly, a tiny sneezed echoed through the room. Marinette froze. _Oh no, Tikki! I hope he didn't hear,_ Marinette thought fearfully.

"Hey, what was that noise?" Chat asked as he looked around. Suddenly his gaze froze on something and his eyes widened.

"Uh, it was probably just the floor creaking. It does that, you know?" Marinette laughed awkwardly.

She noticed Chat's confused face and followed his gaze. Her face reddened as she saw what he was looking at. Her computer was on, and her background of Adrien was displayed on it. He turned his head and noticed the pictures and heart doodles around them.

"I CAN EXPLAIN!" Marinette yelled as she ran in front of the pictures.

Chat just stared at her and slowly got up. His face was mixed with unreadable emotions.

"No need to, I think I get it," his voice shook. It was all coming together now. The stutters, the constant help from Alya, the nudges from Nino. _I'm such an idiot,_ he thought. A smile crossed his face. It was actually really nice, knowing that such an amazing person cared about him.

"So, Adrien Agreste, huh? Gotta say, Princess, wasn't expecting that," he chuckled happily.

"Y-yea, it's true. Guess really everyone knows now, huh?" she laughed softly.

"Well Princess, I hope your Prince treats you right. But alas, I must bid you adiu," Chat smirked and then bowed. He jumped up the stairs to the balcony, pushed the door open, and was gone.

Marinette just watched as Chat left. She couldn't help but feel unsettled. She shook her head and went to finish her designs.

 **AN: Shoutout to fandommaniac22 for inspiring the scene with Ladybug and Chat! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thank you for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I know I've said it before but it really means a lot. Here's the new chapter!**

Chat grinned as he ran back to his house. It was still raining, but he couldn't care less. He couldn't explain why he felt so happy about this discovery. A pang of guilt hit him. What about Ladybug? He would never give up on her, but he couldn't ignore his growing feelings for Marinette. His grin turned into a frown as he thought about it more. He couldn't like _both_ of them! He wished his feelings were clearer. As he jumped through the window to his room, he released his transformation.

The coldness of the rain started to chill him, and Adrien shivered. "So, Marinette has a thing for you, huh?" Plagg smirked, not even bringing up cheese. Sometimes human drama could be entertaining to the small kwami.

"What am I going to do, Plagg? How am I going to face either of them?" Adrien groaned. His bad luck was really kicking in now. "I have feelings for both of them."

Plagg rolled his eyes. "This is why cheese is easier than love! Speaking of which, I was promised three wheels of camembert. Cough up," Plagg said expectantly, arms crossed.

Adrien rolled his eyes and headed towards the kitchen.

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.

.

Marinette was late to school, as usual. She zipped up the steps to the school and through the hallways. She skid to a stop in front of her classroom, and walked in. Alya just shook her head fondly at her best friend's antics.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, care to explain why you were late once again?" Miss Bustier asked tiredly. She was usually a fairly understanding teacher, but the bluenette was rarely on time.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bustier. To tell you the truth, I forgot to set my alarm last night. It won't happen again," Marinette reassured her. She sat down in her seat and took out her notepad.

As she looked up from her book, she noticed Adrien slouched over his desk. She couldn't see his face, but from his posture, it looked like he wasn't feeling well. Her thoughts were confirmed when she heard him cough and sneeze loudly.

"Dude, you okay? You sound horrible," Nino asked worriedly.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just tired, that's all," the blonde sniffed, sitting up. His elbow knocked over Marinette's book.

"Oh, sorry Marinette. I'll get it," Adrien said as he picked up her book. As he handed it to her, Marinette noticed the bags under his eyes and his pale skin. Their eyes met, but Adrien seemed to remember something and looked away quickly. Marinette snatched the book from him and quickly jotted down the notes she missed.

.

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.

Adrien barely made it through the day. He felt horrible. The rain had caused him to get a cold, and it didn't help that he got no sleep last night. He was up until two in the morning thinking about Marinette and Ladybug.

He entered the cold doors to his house and shivered once more. His father had made him go to school, firm with his answer that Adrien must keep up with his studies. He dragged himself to his room and flopped out on his bed. He was so ready to just sleep for the rest of the day.

Just as he was drifting off, a loud blast resonated from the building next to him. His eyes opened abruptly and he ran to the window. An akuma was on the loose, and shooting water out of his hands. _Just great, a_ _ **water**_ _themed akuma,_ Adrien grumped in his mind. He sighed, took a breath, and yelled, "Plagg, claws out!"

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Marinette was working on the final details of her design when she got an akuma alert from the LadyBlog. She had set her phone earlier that week to tell her whenever LadyBlog gave an update about akuma sightings. The report was recent, posted not even a minute before she was notified. Alya could be a bother with her constant persistence of finding out the two superheroes' identities, but her careful following on all things related to Ladybug was useful in situatons like this. Marinette closed her book and stood up. "Tikki, spots on!" she shouted determinedly .

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.

.

Chat Noir was already fighting off the villain when Ladybug arrived. The akuma was currently at the building next to the Agreste mansion. _How did Chat get here so fast? The update only went up a few minutes ago,_ Ladybug wondered. She shook her head. She needed to help Chat, not ponder his means of transportation.

She slipped into the battle, looking for the akumatized object. Nothing stood out, and each time she went in for a closer look, he would knock her away with a blast of water. Chat looked particularly unhappy about the akuma's power, scowling whenever he got drenched with water. Ladybg couldn't help but giggle, remembering his hatred for rain and water.

She stopped when she heard Chat cough and sneeze. She glanced over at him. He looked pretty sick. _He really shouldn't have gone out in the rain last night,_ she noted. "Chat, are you sick?" Ladybug called out worriedly to her partner.

"Nothing but a cold, my lady. I'm _feline_ just fine!" he responded smugly, seeming to have had a boost of energy.

Ladybug chose to ignore his sickness for the time being. She really needed his help for this attack, and hoped that her miraculous cure would get rid of his cold.

"Hah, you'll never defeat me, the powerful Waterfall!" the akuma, seemingly named Waterfall, laughed darkly.

Ladybug and Chat shared a skeptical look. All akuma's were convinced that they were the ones that would capture the miraculouses. None had yet to succeed, of course.

Ladybug decided to use her lucky charm, since they were making no progress in finding the akumatized object. "Lucky charm!" she yelled fiercely, tossing her yoyo up in the air. A life preserver dropped down. Ladybug looked around, confused, until Chat's baton and the akuma lit up with her ladybug vision.

"Chat! Trip the akuma with your staff!" she called out to him. He nodded in agreement and ran off. He scaled a nearby wall and dropped behind Waterfall, surprising him by knocking him off his feet. " _Sea_ Ladybug! Told you I'm fine!" Chat smirked.

Ladybug scoffed at his pun and slipped the preserver on the akuma. Waterfall struggled and tried to blast them with water, but couldn't move his arms or hands.

Ladybug looked around for the akumatized object, and spotted papers sticking out of his front pockets. The ink was smeared and the writing was illegible. She pulled them out and ripped them apart.

A dark butterfly flew out, and she quickly caught it with her yoyo. She swung it around, summoning all the luck that she could. As she released the small butterfly, she waved as it flapped away. "Bye-bye little butterfly," she smiled. Watching the freed butterflies fly off was definitely one of her favorite parts of being Ladybug.

"Pound it!" she grinned triumphantly as she held her fist out to Chat. They exchanged their signature fistbump, glad they had managed to save Paris one more time.

"How are you feeling, Chat?" Ladybug asked concerned.

" _Paw_ some, Bugaboo," Chat grinned. He actually did feel a lot better, probably because of his lady's good luck.

"Glad to hear it, chaton. Next time, don't go off exploring in the rain," Ladybug said teasingly.

A confused look crossed Chat's face. "How did you know I went out in the rain last night?" he asked suspiciously.

Ladybug froze. She had forgotten that Chat had visited Marinette, not Ladybug. "U-uh, I figured you must had, if you're sick!" she laughed nervously. _Nice going,_ she scolded herself.

"Oh, okay. Well, you're right, you know. I don't think I'll be trying that again," Chat chuckled. He tried to cover up his doubt. He could tell she was hiding something, and was determined to figure it out.

"Good! Well, bye, Chat!" Ladybug said as she swung off, leaving before she revealed anymore about her identity.

 **AN: More is coming! Thanks for reading so far!**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: This is the final chapter! Thank you so much for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows!**

The next day at school, Adrien was back to his normal self. He felt great, especially after getting a good night's sleep.

"You look way better, bro!" Nino commented, noticing his friend's energy.

"I finally got over my cold! I feel so much better," Adrien grinned.

Marinette, however, was not grinning like Adrien. Her face was tight with panic and she started dumping the contents of her backpack out on the desk.

"Everything ok, Mari?" Alya asked with a raised eyebrow. She wondered what had caused Marinette's crazy behavior this time.

"I can't find my purse! I've searched my house, the school, and now my backpack! Oh Alya, what am I going to do!?" she groaned, distraught.

The purse was handmade by Marinette. She had labored over it for days, and now it was gone. At least Tikki wasn't still in it, she was safely tucked away in Marinette's backpack.

"Easy girl! I'll help you find, don't worry," Alya comforted her. "Now, when did you have it last?" she asked calmly.

Marinette paused to think. She had realized it was missing last night, and didn't remember having at all that day. The last time she could remember having it was the day when Adrien had asked her to the gala, which was two days ago.

"The last time I remember having it was two days ago," Marinette stated. Remembering that day and the gala was already making her blush.

"Ok, now we're getting somewhere. So where do you last remember it being?" Alya quizzed.

"Adrien's house, I think?" Marinette pondered at loud.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You went **_Adrien's_** house?! And you didn't **_tell me_** _!?_ " Alya screeched.

Marinette froze as she realized that she had never mentioned the gala to Alya. Alya's mouth was agape and her eyes were wide.

"Y-yea?" Marinette answered dreadfully. Alya just stared at her incredulously.

"I'm sorry, ok! I'll tell you all about it later, let's focus on the matter at hand for right now," Marinette pleaded.

"Oookaay, but you better give me all the details later!" Alya demanded, the shock leaving her eyes. "Go tell Adrien what happened!" Alya said as she shooed her to go.

Marinette gulped, gathered up all her courage, and tapped on Adrien's shoulder.

He turned around, and smiled. "Yes, Marinette?" he asked patiently.

"U-uh, I t-think I left my p-purse at your house," she squeaked out.

"Oh, no problem. I'll go find it and bring it back to you tomorrow," Adrien reassured her.

"T-thank you so much!" she said, relieved. She loved that purse, and was glad it might not be gone forever.

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.

After school had ended, Adrien went home and retraced Marinette and his steps. He checked the limo first. Marinette's signature purse was nowhere in sight, and he sighed and closed the door.

Next he checked the design vault. This was no simple task, since the room was huge. He searched the clothes racks, the mannequins, and all of the dressing rooms. Not having found the purse, he left.

He was running out of ideas of where the purse was. He had checked all of the obvious places, and even most of the guest rooms. He decided to check one of the final guest rooms that he hadn't searched yet.

As he opened the door, he could tell it was the room Marinette had gotten ready in. Makeup and hairbrushes were strewn about, and the mirror's lights were still on. He walked around, scanning the room for a pink handbag. Finally, he spotted it. It was on a chair, and next to it was a white box.

 _I didn't know she had forgotten a box too. I wonder what's in it,_ Adrien wondered as he picked up the box. Upon closer inspection, he could see that it was from her parents' bakery.

He opened, and found that it was filled with chocolate croissants. A small piece of paper rested in the middle. As Adrien pulled it out, he noticed that it had writing on it:

 ** _To Chat, my partner, my friend._**

Adrien staggered back. That looked exactly like what Ladybug had written to him! This could only mean...

Marinette was Ladybug.

How had he missed it? Their eyes, their hair, that determined expression, it was all coming to him. That was the reason she had known he had gone out in the rain to visit **_her_**.

His lady was his princess! He couldn't believe his luck. They were both so wonderful, so alike. He couldn't contain his grin. He quickly grabbed the purse.

"Plagg, transform me!" he cheered.

"But... cheese!" Plagg cried as he got sucked into the ring.

He ignored Plagg, and leapt out the window, with only one thing on his mind.

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.

.

Marinette had just finished her homework when she heard a knock. She knew exactly who it was, and went to open the trapdoor. Chat jumped through the door, and immediately pulled Marinette into a short hug.

As he pulled back, it was impossible to miss his huge smile.

"Marinette! My lady!" he grinned.

Marinette stared at him in shock. "Chat? How did you..." she started but was interrupted when her purse was shoved at her.

"I found your purse! Just like I said I would," he smirked.

Marinette gasped, eyes wide. "Adrien?! YOU'RE CHAT NOIR!?" she shrieked.

He nodded. He knew she would figure it out once he gave her the purse, but he wasn't sure how she would respond.

Marinette stared at him for a couple of seconds before pulling him into another hug.

"I'm so glad it's you," she whispered softly.

Chat smiled. "Me too."

As they pulled away, Marinette froze again. Realization crossed her face and her eyes grew huge.

"I kissed you, **_Adrien_** , during that akuma attack!" she said frozen, her face turning red.

"WAIT A MINUTE, WE KISSED?!"

 **AN: The end! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thanks for reading!**


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